SB 41 

.L8 


'wo 


no. 8 




Copy 1 






The Eighth 
of a Series of Monographs 
on the Improvement of 
Plant Life 



ISSUED BY 

The Luther Burbank Society 

SANTA ROSA, CALIFORNIA 



Copyright 1915. Luther Burbank Press 



Cofccted set 



FOREWORD 



There is a crispness in the home grown Let- 
tuce which the green grocer neither keeps nor 
sells; a delicacy of flavor and an evanescent bloom 
in the home grown Grape or Plum, which money 
spent with the fruiterer can never buy. A fresh 
fragrance and undrooping charm in the home 
grown Rose, which even the most skilled florist 
cannot preserve; and above all, there is a joy in 
the production of our own vegetables, our own 
fruits and our own flowers— a joy in making our 
door-yards blossom and bear, a joy in making our 
own soil yield, which far exceeds the profits our 
gardens give. 

* * * 

It is the hope of the Luther Burbank Society 
that this series of Monographs, with their simple, 
practical instructions, will be of help, not alone 
to those who now have kitchen-gardens and front- 
yard flower-plots — but to those, as well, who do 
not „yet know the allurement of the home garden, 
thus opening up for them this great field of undi- 
luted pleasure. 



C CI A 4 71 3 2 
MAV 28 [915 



TWO ACRES -A COMPETENCE 
WITH CONTENTMENT 

IF success is measured by the amount of gold 
one accumulates Miles Turner was successful. 
He had made considerable money in business. 
But as "the seekers after fundamental truths" 
are continually reaffirming — and as experience has 
taught many of us — money does not always buy 
contentment and Turner was far from being con- 
tented. He was one of those unfortunates who 
always are on deck with a spy-glass looking for 
trouble. And the worst of his troubles were those 
that never came to pass. 

So Turner concluded, and with good judgment, 
that "back to Nature" was the life for him. There 
he would be rid of the worrying responsibilities of 
"doing business"; he would be rid of the never- 
ending daily grind at the desk; and he would 
exchange the nerve-racking existence in the over- 
populated city for the quiet and peace that comes 
with the glories of life in the country. 

"If I am to find contentment anywhere", Turner 
figured, "it will be in the big out-doors". 



[3] 



And he did find it there. But his journey was 
well marked with the ups and downs of ex- 
perience. To point out the ruts that Turner struck 
on his road to contentment and a comfortable 

livelihood is the object of this brief monograph. 
* * * 

Turner bought a farm in Minnesota. It was 
just "land", flat as a pancake, without buildings — 
without even a fence to mark its boundaries. So he 
built himself a house, a barn, a number of other 
out-houses and fenced in the tract. When he came 
to figure up he wondered where all his money went. 

Then came his live stock, all pure bred and of 
the best known strains. And as Turner knew noth- 
ing about stock-raising a couple of hired men came 
with the stock to look after it. Seeding time was 
at hand and a force of men was put to work 
planting grain — just planting, here and there and 
everywhere, without rhyme or reason. Turner 
thought it was a simple matter of putting in the 
c>eed and taking out the profit — just as easy as 
buying and selling had been to him in business. 
Business experience helps in farming, but without 
farming experience it's hard to get returns from 
the farm. 

He noticed, too, that his neighbors were not 
very neighborly. Because of his high-handed way 



[4] 



of running things — a way that may have helped 
him in business — kindliest neighbors withheld 
their advice. His lavish outlay of money for ex- 
pensive buildings and woven-wire fences seemed 
a foolish waste to them. They knew there were 
other things to be taken care of first if one was to 
make ends meet, unless, of course, his means were 

unlimited and the farm was only a plaything. 

* * * 

"Nature hasn't given me a square deal", said 
Turner after harvesting was over and he had 
balanced his books. The crops had not turned 
out as he expected. The farm had not paid in- 
terest on the investment; in fact, had not paid in 
any way. The books showed a large deficit. There 
was also a pretty big charge to "worry and per- 
plexity". Contentment and a competence even on 

a hundred acres were still a great way off. 

★ * * 

During the winter of the third year Turner 
went to California. There he got a new "slant" 
on his quest for contentment and a comfortable 
livelihood. He found that many of the farms, or 
ranches, as Calif ornians call them, were very much 
smaller than his own. It took him some time to 
figure out the object of this. He talked freely with 
the ranchers, found out what they grew and what 
their incomes were, made a study of methods, and 



[5] 



discovered that in many cases one man operating 
a small ranch of only a few acres not only made a 
good living, but had a big slice of contentment 
thrown in. 

The ranchers did not all conduct their two 
acres in the same way. Some raised fruit, others 
grew vegetables for the local market, while others 
kept chickens or rabbits or pigeons. They all 
seemed to make a very comfortable living and 
were happy. There were no signs of discontent 
and every man was his own master. 

Our wanderer in quest of a competence and 
contentment did not buy a ranch in California, but 
he did go back to Minnesota to sell his farm. 
Then he moved to Illinois, near a city, and located 
on a few acres that seemed to have all the natural 
advantages he had learned were desirable in a 
small farm. 

So Turner began all over again. His experience 
had been the same as that of many others who 
have turned back to Nature looking for content- 
ment and a fair income. He found that he could 
manage his little "kingdom" without extra help, 
that the returns provided all the necessities and 
some of the luxuries of life. He found he could 
get more fun and profit out of his wee bit of a 



[6] 



place than out of the big one and all of the family, 
from wife to babies, were happier. 
How did he do it? 

★ * * 

The whole question rests upon the planning 
and upon the methods of cultivation used. Prac- 
tically no farm of large acreage yields as much as 
the soil is capable of producing. That is due to 
the fact that the land in large areas is not culti- 
vated as it should be. So it is not as difficult a 
problem to make two acres produce to the limit. 
This is called "intensive farming". 

Although there are perhaps more small farms 
in California than in other sections of the United 
States, it does not necessarily mean that California 
is the only state in which a two-acre farm will 
succeed. The principal difference is that different 
crops must be grown and different classes of live 
stock raised on a small farm in different sections 
of the country. 

Let us take, for example, the experience of a 
doctor who gave up his practice to search for that 
contentment we all so much desire. He moved onto 
two acres near a small city and grew vegetables 
for the early market. In addition to this he started 
a rabbitry and is now making a comfortable living 
by selling Belgian hares and early vegetables. 



[7] 



A very profitable amount of vegetables may be 
grown on a small area when the right ones are 
selected and when they are properly cared for. 

Luther Burbank, when still a boy, practiced 
intensive farming and taught us a lesson that may 
still be practiced ' with profit. He was growing 
vegetables near Fitchburg, Massachusetts, and 
desired, quite naturally, to get the highest prices 
for his products. 

He realized that the highest prices were paid 
for the earliest crops. Sweet corn was one of the 
best selling vegetables, so he planned to get ahead 
of his competitors by putting sweet corn in the 
Fitchburg market two or three weeks before his 
neighbors' crops matured. 

Mr. Burbank soaked the seed in a glass jar and 
allowed it to sprout. When the sprouts were about 
an inch long he planted the sprouting seeds in 
furrows, dropping them in thickly, and paying no 
attention as to whether they were right side up or 
not. The bed had previously been thoroughly 
prepared and almost before he had finished plant- 
ing, the first kernels were sending their shoots 
above the soil. This early start was stimulated 
and the rapid growth was maintained by the 
liberal application of fertilizer between the fur- 
rows. The corn grew rapidly and matured early 



[8] 



and the result was that Mr. Burbank secured twice 
as much for the corn which he marketed as his 
competitors received for theirs which came in at 
the usual time. 

This plan may be applied to any other vege- 
table. Some variation, of course, is necessary for 
certain crops. Crops that have the smaller seeds, 
however, cannot be allowed to sprout as long as 
corn, but sprouting them before planting does 
hasten the ripening a great deal. 

To the man who has been in the habit of 
growing crops by the hundreds of acres this plan 
seems very tedious, but to the man who is really 
securing contentment, this is the most interesting 
work. It does not take much seed to plant a 
couple of acres and you have the time to give 
more attention to the seed you do plant. Cultiva- 
tion, too, is much easier, and although you do not 
have a horse or a gasoline tractor to help you, the 
work does not become drudgery. It is always 
varied and there is such a small amount of it to do 

that it is ever new and always interesting. 
* * * 

He who would make a complete success of the 
two-acre farm cannot depend entirely on the 
products of the soil. There must always be some 
sort of live stock that can be raised on a small 
tract with a liberal amount of profit. 



[9] 



There are ways of raising poultry on a small 
place with economy in both time and expense. 
Squabs yield a good profit and require very little 
room. Belgian hares can be bred in large numbers 
on a city lot. Pheasants bring good prices and are 
really not difficult to raise. Moreover, the pens in 
which they can be raised take up very little room. 
Even a few pigs may be raised with profit on the 
small farm. 

★ * * 

It is impossible to say exactly what profits may 
be expected from any particular crop or from any 
particular kind of live stock, but it will be inter- 
esting to know just what profit has been made by 
other persons on small farms. The following 
figures have been carefully compiled from the 
recorded experiences of persons in various states 
of the Union and will be suggestive to anyone in- 
terested in this sort of farming, regardless of 
where he lives. 

The income received from an acre of these 
varied crops is figured, of course, on their market 
value in the locality where the crops thrive and 
yield well. The same crop planted in an unsuit- 
able climate or on unfavorable soil would not pro- 
duce the amount indicated here. 

The figures for various kinds of fruit follow — 



[10] 



each variety is figured on the basis of yield per 



acre : 



Blackberries, 10,000 qts. at 7c. a qt. , . 

Dewberries, 9,000 qts. at 7c. a qt 

Gooseberries, 250 bus. at $2.00 a bu . . 
Strawberries, 8,000 qts. at 5c. a qt.. 
Currants, 3,000 plants yield 6,000 bus 

Raspberries, per acre 

Peaches, per acre 

Pears, per acre 

Apples, per acre 

Grapes 



$700.00 
630. CO 
500.00 
400.00 
200.00 



$2C0.C0 to 600.00 

200.00 to 400.00 

200.00 to 500.00 

100.00 to 500.00 

100.00 



Just because these figures are given for an 
entire acre does not mean that the man with two 
acres should devote half of his land to any one 
crop. As a matter of fact, the greatest success 
usually comes to him who divides his land judi- 
ciously and grows a variety of crops. 

This is also true of the following figures which 
indicate yields that have been secured from 
different kinds of vegetables. It is necessary, 
perhaps, to caution the prospective small farmer 
that some of these vegetables do not thrive profit- 
ably in some sections, but where they do thrive 
these yields have been secured: 

Asparagus, 3,000 bunches at 20c. per bunch $600.00 

Cauliflower, 100 to 200 bbls. at $1.50, approx 200.00 

Onions, 600 bus. at 75c. per bu 450.00 

Cabbage seed, 1,000 lbs. at 40c. per lb 400.00 

Brussels Sprouts, 3,000 qts. at 10c. a qt 300.00 

Celery, 6,000 Bunches at 5c. a bunch 300.00 

Parsnips, 300 bus. at $1.00 a bu 300.00 

Lettuce, 9,000 heads at 3c. a head 270.00 

Lima Beans, 50 bus. at $5.00 a bu 250.00 

Potatoes, 300 bus. at 75c. a bu 225.00 

Cabbages, 20 tons at $10.00 a ton 200.00 



[ii] 



Carrots and beets, 200 to 400 bus., approximately . 150.00 



Here is a particularly interesting example of 
how a combination of crops has been made to 
produce more than a bare competence on a small 
California farm. This particular farm is located 
in the Sacramento Vallej T . The owner has made 
a success of his farm for over 40 years. It consists 
of but a single acre and in addition to making a 
comfortable living he has laid aside, on an average, 
$400.00 a year. Just think of it — a man with a one 
acre farm with money to loan! 

These figures, which show the amount of space 
devoted to the various buildings and to different 
crops, is a good basis upon which to work in 
planning a small place. 

The barn occupies a space 30 feet by 40 feet, 
and the rabbitry 25 feet square. The house is 
30 x 30 feet. There are two wind mills with towers 
16 feet square. The water tanks are in the towers 
and hold the water for irrigation. The crops are 
never allowed to suffer from the lack of water or, 
in fact, anything necessary for their best 
development. 

This One Acre Farmer devotes a space 46 x 94 
feet to the growing of vegetables. His blackberry 



Tomatoes, 200 crates at 75c. a crate 
Early Peas, 50 bus. at $2.00 a bu . . 

Turnips, 400 bus. at 25c. a bu 

Spinach, 100 bbls. at 50c. a bbl . . . . 



150.00 
100.00 
100.00 
50.00 



[12] 



patch is 16 x 90 feet. Strawberries occupy an area 
of 65 x 90 feet. He has a small nursery 90 x 98 feet, 
in which he grows citrus trees. These, of course, 
are grown very close together and are sold for 
high prices. He has one row of dewberries a 
hundred feet long, four apricot trees, three peach 
trees, six fig trees, ten locust trees, thirty rose 
bushes, twelve lemon trees, one lime tree, four 
bread fruit trees, five pomegranate trees, four 
prune trees, four grape vines and thirteen hives 
of bees. 

So this man combines vegetable growing, fruit 
growing, the growing of nursery stock, the keeping 
of bees and the raising of Belgian hares. 

A great many other definite examples might 
be given, but each one would be entirely different. 
Each farmer w T orks out the details of his plan for 
himself, but the principle upon which the whole 
matter is based is this: Care must be given to 
every product raised. Marketing and the expense 
of production must be kept at the minimum. The 
two-acre farm should be operated entirely without 
hiring outside help. The system of management, 
of course, will determine just how nearly this is 
accomplished. Plenty of fertilizer will be neces- 
sary. Water must be applied whenever it is 
needed and cultivation must be given frequently. 



[13] 



Each foot of land must be made to yield its 
utmost and in many cases the utmost is not a single 
crop. A great many crops, especially vegetables, 
may be grown as companion crops or succession 
crops. Two different crops may be grown on the 
same area in the same season. Radishes may be 
sown with beets or carrots, the one crop being 
planted between the rows of the other. By the 
time the beets or carrots need the room, the 
radishes are ready to harvest. 

Squashes, citron, pumpkins, or beans, are very 
good crops to grow r with corn. When the beans 
are planted with the corn they are usually planted 
in the same hill and the corn, which grows more 
rapidly, furnishes support for the beans. The best 
varieties in this case are the climbing ones and it is 
not best to plant too large an area in this way. If 
the field were too large the beans toward the 
center would not receive the amount of sunlight 
needed. 

Early onions may be planted in the same rows 
with cauliflower or cabbage. The onions, of course, 
are harvested early and the cabbage or cauliflower 
has the space to itself after that. Lettuce may be 
grown with early cabbage. Even the early crops 
of radishes, lettuce and onions may be grown to- 
gether without one seriously interfering with the 
other. 



[14] 



Sometimes it is advisable to grow several crops 
of the same variety in succession. A man in Iowa 
has grown as many as 10 crops of radishes in the 
same bed. Before one crop was ready to harvest 
seeds were planted for the next crop in rows close 
beside the growing plants. 

Some of the early crops may be grown between 
rows of potatoes. In the berry patch there is 
usually space for growing vegetables. All of this 
is based on the principle of getting the utmost 
from each square foot of the ground. 

While it is impossible to give definite informa- 
tion as to the best varieties of crops to grow in the 
different parts of the country, the following sug- 
gestions will be of considerable value. The 
varieties here recommended can be grown success- 
fully in nearly every section of the United States, 
but there are localities in different sections where 
they will not thrive at all. For that reason infor- 
mation from persons of experience near your farm 
will be absolutely necessary. 

The varieties mentioned, however, are worth 
trying. They are all standards. It is expensive 
to experiment with novelties. If you are going to 
experiment at all, experiment with some of these 
standard varieties that have proved their worth. 



[15] 



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[26] 



The small farm to be profitable must be 
located near a market. The amount of produce 
to be sold at any one time is small and so it is 
unwise to make any large investment for delivery. 

There is considerable profit in the raising of 
flowers if you are near a town. Cut flowers sell 
well in any location. Those that can be grown in 
the garden are especially profitable. One woman 
has made a nice income hy growing daffodils. She 
takes such good care of them that the blossoms 
appear early, and although she lives 50 miles from 
market, she makes good profit by shipping them to 
dealers in the city. There is a good profit too in 
raising bulbs and seeds. Even if only a small 
quantity of bulbs or seeds is produced they may 
be sold to neighbors and friends at a good profit. 

Poultry raised on a small place is usually 
profitable. If modern methods are employed quite 
a large number of birds can be handled on a small 
place without any difficulty. The caring for them 
on a small tract is really less than where they are 
scattered over a larger farm. Although the hens 
do not produce profitably for more than two or 
three years, they can be replaced economically. 
The white leghorn has been found to be well 
adapted to this sort of treatment and is a very 
prolific producer of eggs. 



[27] 



Common sense methods in feeding must be 
followed and by common sense is meant the pro- 
viding of plenty of feed of the kind the hen natu- 
rally gets when running on the range. There are 
a few general principles that apply to poultry pro- 
duction under all conditions. 

A soft food is usually best for morning. This 
may be fed either dry or as a wet mash. Some 
poultrymen believe they get better results in one 
way and others count more profit in feeding it 
another way. 

Whole grains are fed at night because the bird 
goes to roost after eating and has plenty of time 
to digest these foods. The exact combination of 
feed may be varied considerably without much 
change in the results. Although every poultry 
raiser believes he has the best combination of feed, 
practically every poultry raiser has a different 
combination. One thing that is essential is that 
the fowls should have plenty of green stuff. 

The man with a small number of fowls finds 
it easier to sell at a higher price than the man with 
a large number. He can-afford to spend more time 
in developing a high class trade. A neat carton 
always helps in getting a good price. The same 
customers who will pay a good price for first class 
eggs are also willing to pay a good price for fruit 



[28] 



and vegetables. By concentrating your selling to 
these high-class customers in a certain section of 
j^our home town, the cost of delivery will be greatly 
reduced. 

There is also considerable money in dressed 
poultry and it is not a difficult task to secure 
regular customers who will take a dressed bird 
every Saturday for Sunday dinner. Dressing and 
delivering can be done some one day in the week 
and will thus make it possible to concentrate the 
Work and increase the profits. 

If you are to make a success of a small farm, 
do not hesitate to ask the best prices for high- 
quality products. The average person is willing 
to pay all that good produce is worth and if you 
are sure that your products are of the highest 
grade, do not sell them for any less than they are 
really worth. 

Many have had considerable success in raising 
Belgian hares. It is not an unpleasant occupation 
and the hares increase rapidly. A good doe will 
raise seven or eight litters a year and each litter 
contains from six to fourteen. There is a market 
for Belgian hares in most cities and the hares are 
ready to sell w T hen they weigh four or five pounds. 

A rabbit hutch can be made from an old dry 
goods box, or if you are going into it on a larger 



[29] 



scale, a series of hutches can be made four or 
five tiers deep. The rabbits require plenty of 
fresh air, but cannot stand a draught. They re- 
quire protection from the cold in winter. 

Pigeons are a good investment. Squabs are 
easy to raise and bring good prices. Enough 
pigeons to produce an income of $600.00 a year 
can be raised on a small lot. Squabs can be 
shipped by express and if your place is not far 
from the city limits, the express messenger will 
call for the shipment, which makes the cost of 
marketing small and the work very light. 

The raising of game birds, especially pheasants, 
is becoming a paying industry. There is a big 
demand, both for the birds themselves and for 
hatching eggs, and there is a profit to be made 
from selling the feathers. Although pheasants 
require special care, the methods of handling them 
successfully can soon be learned. 

The breeding of canaries is another profitable 
industry that can be carried on by the two-acre 
farmer. One room in the home or a small building 
outside will accommodate a large number of birds. 
They multiply rapidly and produce a good profit. 
A woman in California raised in a single season 
nearly $75.00 worth of canaries. She considered 
the work a recreation and the total cost of feeding 



[30] 



amounted to only about $16. Singers sell for from 
$1.25 to $2.50 each; the females bring about 50c. 
each. Cages are inexpensive and can be home- 
made. Instead of keeping each bird in a separate 
cage 15 or 20 can be kept in a single large cage 
made out of a quarter-inch mesh wire screen. 

Although the keeping of bees is a business in 
itself, the man with a little extra time can keep a 
few hives very economically and with considerable 
profit. There is not space here to give definite 
instructions as to methods of bee-keeping, but 
there are many good books on the subject that can 
be secured at any library. It is not expensive to 
start this industry and there is very little work in 
maintaining it. The only cost is for equipment. 
There is always a good demand for honey and if 
it is marketed to special customers, together with 
other products of the farm, it will bring a very 
good price indeed. 

The two-acre farm requires very little capital. 
In fact, it requires no more capital than the pur- 
chase of a home in a city. It does carry with it a 
satisfactory competence and a great amount of 
contentment. 



[311 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




J 



001 458 639 8 ^ 



Plant Life Series 



A series of monographs for 1914-1915 to create a general interest 
in agriculture, horticulture, and floriculture with instructions to 
make it possible for everybody to grow his or her own fruits, flowers, 
and vegetables, the following being the first twelve titles: 

1. Give The Boy His Chance. 

2. Start the Boy Right. 

3. How Nature Makes Plants to Our Order. 

4. Vegetables — From Your Own Garden to the Table or Market. 

5. Vegetables — What, and When to Plant — on Your Own Soil. 

6. The Joy of Raising Your Own Flowers. 

7. Flowers — What, How and When to Plant— At Your Own 
Home. 

8. Two Acres — A Competence with Contentment. 

9. Beautify the Lawn to Reflect Your Personality. 

10. Better Fruits and More of Them. 

11. Small Fruit Growing for Home or Market. 

12. Canning, Preserving, Candy Making — Profitable Business 
Plans for the Folks at Home. 

13. Farm Management. 

14. Better Grass Crops for Better Live Stock. 

15. Improvement in Grains. 



These monographs are not for sale. They are issued for distribution to 



members of The Luther Burban\ Society, and to others 
only on recommendation of members 



